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| Christine Amsden, SciFi/Fantasy Author MADISON'S SONG |
Award-winning
SciFi/fantasy author Christine Amsden brings us her newest novel, MADISON’S SONG, described as an “adventurous
paranormal romance.” Reviewers tout it as a “fast-pace, highly entertaining
read with fully sympathetic and compelling characters.” Amsden, who has written
and published more than a dozen novels, including the Cassie Scot, paranormal
detective series, says that above all she writes stories “about people” and
claims that “Great characters come from the heart.”
Amsden, who likes to spin off
characters to tell new stories, has many ideas for her next novel, but has not
yet decided what it should be. A free-lance editor, she currently lives in
Kansas City with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, she
likes to read and watch TV – especially science fiction shows.
Q: Your newest
book, MADISON’S SONG, crosses several genres, including romance and paranormal.
How/why did werewolves appeal to you as a way to tell a story about romance? Or
do you use romance to tell a story about werewolves?
Christine
Amsden: I
definitely used werewolves to tell a story about romance! :)
I'm
a character girl. First and foremost, setting aside all genres that I can and
have brushed against, I tell stories about people. Fantasy is fun and magical;
I love it! But also, it puts ordinary people in extraordinary situations,
giving us a chance to see who we are and who we can be when put to the test.
And that's what I did to Madison – put her to the test. I forced her to face
her greatest fear in order to save a brother she loves. Along the way, she
falls in love with Scott, a werewolf who doesn't believe he's worthy of a woman
like Madison.
Q: Your
reviewers praise MADISON’S SONG and say it is a “fast-paced, highly
entertaining read with fully sympathetic and compelling characters.” In a
paranormal romance how do you make your characters sympathetic and compelling?
Does the world-building enhance or detract from your characters?
Christine
Amsden:
Good world-building enhances the characters. It puts them to the test. It shows
us what they're made of.
Great
characters come from the heart. I put a piece of myself into each and every
character I create. And Madison … well, when I first created her as a minor
character in another series, she wasn't supposed to have her own book! So I
made her a little too much like me. This became a challenge when she took the
spotlight, along with all the little insecurities I have about myself – weight,
shyness, men … I even chew my nails and my bottom lip the way she does!
But
when I put Madison to the test, I also put myself to the test. What would I do
if someone I loved were in danger? I hope I would become the lioness Madison
becomes!
At
any rate, the magical world Madison tackles head-on is in every way a test of
character and a test of self.
As
a counter-example: Bad world-building usually involves some magic gift or
talent that makes life easier for the protagonist. I see this too often in
paranormal mystery, in which a psychic uses a gift to solve a crime that
couldn't otherwise have been solved by normal means. I've never enjoyed this
type of story because it's too easy. Instead of the magic being a source of
conflict, it's a deus ex machina – a gift from heaven that conveniently solves
the problem.
Q: Did you do
any research of werewolf lore to tell your story? Or did you create the
backstory from your imagination?
Christine
Amsden:
Strangely enough, I did a research project on werewolves when I was in the sixth
grade! I've read lots of shapeshifter books and stories since then, so that by
the time I wrote this book there wasn't much left to do except decide which of
the many versions of a werewolf to embrace. For me it went back to that sixth
grade research project – I chose the man who becomes a monster at the full
moon.
Q: Reviewers
almost without exception appreciated the pace of MADISON’S SONG: “action and thrills abound” “non-stop action” “intensely
riveting” and my favorite “What I didn’t like about this book, was that it
ended.” How did you develop such a page-turner? How important is suspense to
telling your story?
Christine
Amsden: “What I didn’t like about this book, was that it ended.”
:) :) :)
Yeah, I loved that one too!
Suspense is the glue that holds my
stories together. When I develop a story, character is my most important
consideration and it's where I start. World building comes next – a home for my
characters. After that I look for something to propel the plot forward,
something that will help me explore the characters and the world I put them in.
That's suspense.
Before I can excite the reader, I
have to excite myself. To get them to turn pages, I first need to get myself to
write them! I have a short attention span and am easily bored. As a young
reader, I used to skim past paragraphs that were too long, eager to get to the
good parts! So as an author, I try to only write the good parts.
Q: What makes readers accept werewolves as part of a
credible world? How do you make them believable? What leads to credibility in a
paranormal story?
Christine
Amsden: I own it. This is sort of my mantra – before I can sell
it, I first have to believe it myself. I have to own it. When I write about
magic, I make no apologies and take no prisoners.
Q: How helpful is humor to telling your story?
Christine
Amsden: Comic relief is critical, especially in a book that goes
dark like Madison's Song did. And in terms of romance I think that if there's
too much darkness, it's hard for a reader to believe in the happily ever after.
Love can't just be built on shared tragedy; it needs shared humor as well.
Q: Did you
write MADISON’S SONG strictly to entertain or did you also have a message you
wanted to deliver?
Christine
Amsden:
Themes:
“Love yourself.”
“You never know how strong you are
until you have no other choice.”
“Don't let fear rule your life.”
Or just have fun!
Q: Does the concept of hero vs villain apply to MADISON’S SONG? What are the characteristics of an effective villain? Do you need a
villain to have a hero?
Christine
Amsden: There are several villains in Madison's song – one major
villain who has been a recurring character (but who stays behind the scenes in
this book) and a couple of minor villains. Villains aren't absolutely necessary
(a hero can overcome nature or fate or himself), but they're useful.
I like villains who aren't pure evil.
I may be naive, but I don't believe that people set out to be evil, or that
anyone, no matter how bad, believes himself to be evil. He has his reasons for
what he does (no matter how poorly justified).
And now I feel like I'm getting ahead
of myself, because all of this is actually a huge theme in my next book,
Kaitlin's Tale, in which I take a villain from a previous book and turn him
into a hero. :)
Q: What’s next? Will you spin off another character or
write more about Madison?
Christine
Amsden: Madison's story is over, though she may appear in future
books. Once this situation is resolved, she would really prefer to teach music to
children, and maybe have some of her own.
Kaitlin's Tale is next. Kaitlin is
another friend of Cassie and Madison who grew too big for her original role in
the Cassie Scot series. That book is finished and under contract – it will
probably be out next summer.
As for what's next …. I don't know!
That's as honest as I can be. I've come up with several ideas but none are
calling to me strongly enough at the moment. I have ideas for completely new
stories in completely new worlds, and I have ideas for more Cassie Scot stories
(one involving Cassie herself, and several involving her brothers and sisters).
A few days ago I considered doing a
reader poll asking what fans think I should write next. :)
Something will call to me soon, I'm
sure. I only hope fans will be as enthusiastic as they have been about my
Cassie Scot books.
Q: Tell us something about Christine Amsden. What do you
like to do when you’re not writing?
Christine
Amsden: I'm a freelance editor and a mom. I enjoy reading,
especially fantasy and romance, and I enjoy watching TV, especially science
fiction. I'm currently rewatching Sense8 in the background, my new favorite
show.
About
Christine Amsden
Christine Amsden has been writing
science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write
and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her
stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great
speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through
extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in
this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for
everyone.
Christine currently lives in the
Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the
key to her success. They have two beautiful children.
About
MADISON’S SONG
Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…
Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the
night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating
monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s
nightmares are not.
Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten
by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who
frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.
Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott
and Madison drive to Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished.
Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if
she hopes to save him. And she’s not the only one fighting inner demons.
Scott’s are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the
woman he loves.
*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series
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